Letter and like rack



Oct. 20, 1925. 1,557,950

S. WASSERMANN v LETTER AND L-IKE max Filed Jan. 24, 1925 Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNlT ED STATES SIEGFRIED WASSERMANN, OF BIRMINGHAM,'ENGLAND.

' LETTER AND LIKE RACK.

Application filed January 24, 1925. Serial No. 4,470.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, SIEGFRIED VVAssER- MIANN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Lion Works, Summer Hill, Birmingham, England, have invented certain Improvements in .Letter and like Racks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises certain improvements in letter and like racks, and more particularly relates to racks such as are designed to stand upon a table or the like.

. The object of the invention is to provide a rack of this character which shall be simple and economical in construction, efiicient and durable in use, and in which the component parts are capable of being readily disassembled for cleaning or other purposes, and as readily reassembled, without the use of screw connections.

The presentinvention comprises a letter or'like rack which includes, in combination, a flexible body part of inverted U formation, slots provided in opposite side edges of the U-shaped body, a base part transversely connecting said edges, and projections provided at opposite ends of the base part engagea'ble within said slots, whereby the body and base parts are held in engagement by the spring character of the body and are readily separable by contraction of said body.

The invention further comprises a letter or like rack as set forth in the preceding paragraph, and which includes a flexible handle part of open loop formation, projections provided at opposite extremities of the handle, and slots provided in the upper part of the body in which slots said'handle projections areengageable, whereby the handle and body parts are likewise held in engagement by the spring character of the handle and are readily separable by contraction of said handle.

The invention further comprises a letter or like rack as set forth in the said para- ,Iraph, and wherein the base part is of strip formation and includes opposite terminal enlargments bent at right angles, said enlargements having at their upper extremities inwardly turned projections engageable with said slots, and being adapted at their lower extremities to constitute feet for the rack.

In order that this invention may be clear ly understood and readily carried into pracexplanatory sheet of drawings, upon which i Figure 1 is an elevation in perspective of a letter or like rack constructed in accordance with the invention. 1

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the method of attachment of the rack body to a base strip, the parts being shown in their disassembled relation.

Figure 3 is a similar View illustrating the method of attachment of the handle "to the body. 1

In a convenient embodiment of the invention, the body 1 of the-letter or like rack is stamped up or formed from a blank of sheet metal having a number of parallel slots cut therein "to constitute transverse recesses 2 for the letters or the like when the blank is bent or curved to an inverted U configuration as shown, and provided in the opposite longitudinal'edges 3 of this body are spaced pairs of slots 4 formed. in the stamping operation. The base of the rack consists'of transverse strips 5 of metal. adapted to unite the limbs of the U-shaped body 1, which strips 5 may be formed from the metal removed from the body 1 in the slotting operation. Two strips 5 "are preferably provided, and each strip is formed at .its opposite extremities with terminal enlargements 6 longitudinally slit and bent at right angles, each enlargement 6 having a bifurcated upper extremity provided with a pair of inwardly turned projections 7 adapted for engagement within a pair of the slots at, and having the lower extremity 8 adapted to constitute a supporting foot. The body 1 as aforesaid is of a spring or flexible character tending to open slightly from its U configuration, and in order to locate and assemble the base strips 5 it is necessary to press the limbs of the body 1 slightly inward, then engage the inwardly turned project ons 7 of the base strips 5 within their respective palrs of slots 4; in the body 1, and then allow the body 1 to expand outwardly into close engagement with the opposite terminal enlargements 6 of the base strips 5, 1n wlnch relation the body 1 and base strips 5 are securely but detachably connected. v

The handleis attached to thebody l 1n a manner similar to that described wlth e re ce to they body and base strip connections. In forming the handle 9 a strip of metal is bent into an open loop formation, with its extremities 10 disposed in spaced-apart parallel relation. These extremities 10 are eaehprovided With lateral shoulders 11, and witha projection 12 .outwardly turned at right angles, the pair of projections 12 being disposed in:a common plane. A pair of slots 13 is cut in the upper central part of the .body 1, at a trans-g verse spacing corresponding substantially slots =13, with:its'lateralprojections 11 bearing ;,upon the upper surface of the body '1, and with its pro ections 12 bearing upon the wider surface Lof said body, in which relationthe handle 9 and body 1 are secure- .ly but detachably connected.

By the foregoing construction it will be seen that no screwor like connections are employed, and that the rack. may be readily disassembled ?by simply applying a Withdrawing "pressure to the various "spring or flexible members.

"l vtha tl claimas my invention and desire to secure by "Letters Patent is 7 1. .A letter or 'lllie rack CO111pllS1I1g,"1I1

combinatiom ;a flexible bodypart .of inverted U formation, zslots provided .in opposite side edges ofthe'U-shap'ed b,ody,,a base part transversely connecting said edges, and in- War-d projections provided at opposite ends of the base part engageable Within said slots, whereby-the body and base parts are held in engagement by the outward flexible expansive tendency of the body and are readily separable by-contraction of said body.

A letter or like rack as set forth in clalm 1, wherein the base part is of str1p "formation and :includes opposite terminal enlargements bent at right angles, said enlargements having at their upper extremities inwardly turned proj ectlons engagea ble with said slots, andbe'ing adapted at "their lower extremities to constitute feetffor the rack. r r

3. A letter or like rack comprising a flexib'le'body part ofinverted U formation, slots provided in opposite side edges of the U- shaped body, a base part transversely connecting said edges, and projections provided at opposite ends of bllflbfisfi part engageable Withinsaid slots,'whereby the body and base "parts are held in engagement-byfthe spring character of the body and are readily separable by contraction of said body, in combination With a flexible handle part of open loop formation, projections provided at opposite extremities of the handle,and slots provided in the-upper part ofthe body in which slots said handle projections are engageable, whereby the handle and 1 body parts are likewise held in engagement by the spring character offthe handle and are readily separable by contraction Oifj'snid handle.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

sinerninn WASSERMANN. 

